Watersheds, supplying crucial ecosystem services to humans, seem to be a logical territorial unit to integrate societal benefits and environmental needs in order to evaluate the sustainability of natural resource use patterns. Based on this belief the book is an attempt to initiate a comprehensive environmental security assessment in the basin of the Azov Sea, shared by Russia and Ukraine. Though the region provides a variety of essential services and plays a strategic role in national and international development plans, it has been excluded from most regional environmental discussions. At the same time there is an alarming degradation rate of basin freshwater ecosystems that has occurred due to overutilization of certain prioritized services (e.g. transportation). The collapse of neglected services (e.g. fishery and freshwater supply) poses serious threats to the national economies as well as the local population, and to mitigate these threats priority in water management should be given to securing sustainability of the regional freshwater ecosystems. In addition to the review of the current status of Azov ecosystem services, the authors analyze likely future availability and challenges. The relevant experience derived from basin management of the Black Sea and other similar basins is also discussed.

"In the present book for the first time in Bulgaria are included results from 25 years of counts in the most important wetlands in the country referring to the Mid-winter numbers of the waterbirds there." "This long-term survey is a part of the regular counts of Divers, Grebes, Pelicans, Cormorants, Swans, Geese, Ducks, Coots, Waders, and Gulls, which have taken place in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East since 1967." "The book consists of two main parts. In the first part are presented 45 of the most significant Bulgarian wetlands (lakes, swamps, reservoirs and other water bodies) along the Danube and Black Sea coasts and inside the country." "For each one of the wetlands there is a short characteristic description indicating the average and the maximum values for the wintering birds, the three most numerous species, the world threatened species and those exceeding the 1% Ramsar criteria." "In the second part of the book are presented 106 species of waterbirds with the dynamics of their numbers for the period 1977-2001 including graphics for most of the species." "The characteristic changes that have taken place in their wintering populations and the tendencies established by other authors for Europe are also indicated." "The book is a result of many years of effort by ornithologists - professional and non-professional, of major Bulgarian Scientific institutions, non-government organizations and state departments. It is illustrated with many black and white drawings by the famous Bulgarian artist Georgi Pchelarov. The book will be especially useful for those who are interested in birdwatching, wetland management and conservation."--BOOK JACKET.